English Learner; EL Program Specialist

Posting Date

Jul 23, 2025, 6:54:34 PM

CPS Non-Union Job Grade : S08

76,000.

Non-Union Position

Exempt

Final salary offers are dependent upon candidate qualifications.

JOB DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 44,000 teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.

To fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. The Office of Multilingual-Multicultural Education (OMME) guides CPS in providing a high-quality education for all language learners attentive to a culturally and linguistically diverse community of students, families, and educators.

OMME aims to achieve its mission through strategic planning, collaborative partnerships, professional development, and the production of tools and resources to improve instruction.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the EL Program Equity Manager and under the direction of OMME Leadership, the EL Program Specialist supports developing programs and instructional practices for English Learners to drive their academic achievement, enhancing and improving English Learners’ learning experience across the district. This position focuses on building capacity among various stakeholders, providing instructional support, and contributing to developing and implementing high-quality instruction for ELs in grades PreK-12.

The EL Program Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

1) Conduct EL Program Reviews to determine current state and report findings to ensure program compliance, including but not limited to:

• EL identification and placement
• Establishment of appropriate programs, including teachers’ licensure and endorsement information, and appropriate student placement and assessment
• Instructional materials, professional learning around ELs, monitoring EL student progress, EL parent involvement, student records, and services for ELs with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)

2) Co-develop action plans in collaboration with administrators, teacher leaders, and network teams

3) Collaborate with intra-office, district office, and school-based leadership to drive data-informed planning for programmatic and instructional improvement for English learners in alignment with continuous school improvement

4) Provide differentiated instructional and programmatic supporting by consulting and collaborating with Principals, Assistant Principals, school-based Instructional Leadership Teams, EL teacher leaders, and Network leadership to develop data-informed strategies to support the effective development and improvement of EL programs and appropriate EL services and instruction at schools, aligned with federal and state law and local mandates

5) Lead and support EL programmatic initiatives and collaborate with CPS offices to provide EL considerations and support, actively participating in district-wide professional learning and initiatives

6) Design and lead professional development around EL programs, design, and improvement for EL teacher leaders and administrators

7) Other duties as assigned

To be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the EL Program Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Education, Bilingual Education, ESL, or a related field of study required
• Valid Professional Educator Licensure (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with Bilingual and/or ESL endorsement required.

Experience

Required:

1) Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience…